Lyon welcome Olympiacos to Groupama Stadium for their opening fixture in the Europa League. Neither team has been at their best lately but Lyon will be counting on some home advantage and should have the edge here.
Lyon will be keen to use the Europa League to jump-start their campaign having found things difficult at the start of the season. Pierre Sage's men have picked up just one win this season and were beaten 3-2 by Marseille in a Ligue 1 fixture on Sunday.
The good news for Lyon heading into their Europa League opener is that their only win of the season has come at the Groupama Stadium . They fought back from behind to claim a 4-3 victory over Strasbourg and will be keen to channel that performance on Thursday.
Like Lyon, Olympiacos are also joining the Europa League in the main competition after winning the Conference League last season. They have fared slightly better than their French rivals in recent weeks having won three of their last five matches.
A slight problem for Olympiacos is that they have looked slightly off colour lately, failing to win their last two matches. Jose Luis Medilibar's men were beaten 2-1 by Aris in a Super League fixture on Saturday.
How the bookies view it: Lyon have the edge
Lyon have the upper hand among the bookies and are priced at 9/10 by Betfred to claim the win. A victory turn for Olympiacos is valued at 16/5 with Betfred, who are also offering odds of 5/2 for a draw.
Head to head: Lyon on top
Lyon have a 3-1 advantage from four previous matches against Olympiakos. The last meeting between both sides was a Champions League clash in 2005 which ended 4-1 in favour of the French side.
Players to watch: Lacazette to find his range
It has been a difficult campaign for Alexandre Lacazette so far as he is struggling to find his best form. The striker remains a major attacking threat for Lyon and is priced at 9/5 by Betfred to finally get on the score sheet.
Ayoub El Kaabi was one of the standout players for Olympiacos last season and is already showing similar form this term. The striker has three goals this season and is priced at 5/2 by Betfred to find the net on Thursday.
Probable line-up
Rayan Cherki could be handed a start on Thursday after coming off the bench to score last time out. Duje Caleta-Car should feature in defence while Lacazette is expected to continue in attack.
El Kaabi should lead the line once again for Olympiacos with Chiquinho providing support. Willian could also earn a place in attack as the Greeks may look to his experience while David Carmo should start at the back.
Lyon: Perri, Mata, Caleta-Car, Tagliafico, Maitland-Niles, Caqueret, Tolisso, Abner, Cherki, Orban, Lacazette
Olympiacos: Tzolakis, Rodinei, Ntoi, Carmo, Ortega, Hezze, Garcia, Martins, Chiquinho, Willian, El Kaabi
Anything else catch the eye?
Lyon have seen over 4.5 goals in their last two home matches and could be set for a repeat at 6/1 with Betfred. Over 3.5 goals is priced at 11/4 with Betfred, who is also offering 8/11 for over 2.5 goals while both teams could be backed to score at 5/6.
There have been more goals after the break in Lyon’s last two home matches and a similar pattern is priced at 11/10 with Betfred.
This UEFA Europa League match between Lyon and Olympiacos will be played on Sep 26, 2024 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Lyon vs Olympiacos prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
